Mysteries
by Zaikia
Summary: Two friends wake up with three months of no memories in a hotel. Text-messages and calls from the cast of MarbleHornets suggest they were part of it and that they were being stalked by the Operator. Can they find out what happened before their lives are in more danger?
1. Chapter 1

**Mysteries**

**Summary: **Two friends wake up with three months of no memories in a hotel. Text-messages and calls from the cast of MarbleHornets suggest they were part of it and that they were being stalked by the Operator. Can they find out what happened before their lives are in more danger?

_**Chapter 1**_

The hotel room was dark, with little light coming through the blinds covering the windows. The room was neat and spotless, except for the girl lying face down on the bed, her feet off the bed at the end and one arm hanging over the side. Her long, dark brown hair was strewn across her back, nearly reaching her waist.

She wore a pair of black skinny jeans, with a red tank top and a black hoodie, along with shoes. Suddenly, the girl let out a loud pain-filled groan and lifted her head, grayish-green eyes dazed and full of confusion.

She looked around 19-years old, her pale skin riddled with faint and recent scars, mostly around her chest area as much as someone could see. She had a gash on her left temple, which had probably stopped bleeding a long time ago and had dried blood crusted on the left side of her face.

She let out another groan and propped herself up using her arms. Her entire body was filled with aches and pains. She finally was able to pull herself into a sitting position and felt her temple, wincing. "Ow…shit….." she swore quietly to herself and then glanced around. "Where the hell am I? Where's Jess…..?"

That's when she heard a knock on the door and walked over to it, stumbling a bit and opened it. A girl around 17-years old stood there. She was shorter than the older one and had her brown hair tied up in a ponytail, her blue eyes covered by glasses. She wore jeans, a shirt and a jacket and shoes and was also riddled with faint and recent scars.

"Shell, thank god I found you!" the shorter girl explained and hugged Shell tightly.

Shell hugged the girl back just as tightly and they parted. "Jesus, what happens to us Shell? I…..I don't remember anything…" she spoke quietly. "But I found these in my room." She held up a hunting knife and a tape.

Shell glanced around her hotel room and found a camera sitting on the counter. "Come on Jess, let's watch it."

Shell closed the door once Jess was in and Jess grabbed the camera, putting the tape in it. They both sat down on the bed and began to watch.

The screen was a bit fuzzy at first, but then it cleared up to two males in front of the camera, talking about the next shots for MarbleHornets.

"Hey…..that's Alex, Tim and Jay from MarbleHornets." Jess pointed out. "This tape must be old…."

"Seems like it…" Shell murmured.

The scene then cut to a different one and it showed just Alex, with Jay holding the camera.

Alex: No, I think I'm gonna cut that part out…it didn't seem right to me.

Jay: Okay, but it was a really good part…..

Alex: (scowls) Don't push it man. (Walks up to his apartment and slams the door shut).

Jay: Whatever. (Walks off).

All of a sudden, Jess grabbed the camera and went backwards a little before freezing the screen as the camera pointed at a wooded area. "Look!" she pointed.

Shell looked closely and her eyes widened when she saw the man in the tan jacket and the weird mask. "Masky….what the fuck?" she swore.

Jess shivered. "I don't wanna watch anymore….."

Shell glanced at her friend. "We have to. We need to know what happened."

"Okay…."

Jess started the tape back up and it continued to where Jay was walking to his car. Just before he turned the camera off, there was a quick clip of someone coming up from the corner of the apartments before it switched to another clip. The next clip showed the girls, Shell walking in front of Jess, who was holding the camera.

Jess: I'm pretty sure Applebee's'll be way too 'spensive...How bout we go to Olive garden and get that unlimited $10 soup thing?

Shell: I dislike that idea.

Jess: (grumbles about how Shell is picky).

Shell: What was that?

Jess: Hmm?

Shell: I thought I heard… (Turns around to look behind Jess, causing Jess to turn the camera to see nothing). I could've sworn I heard something…

Jess: (laughs). Shell, I think you mighta finally lost it! (Giggles again and points the camera behind us as I continue)See nothin' th-AH!(Jess is tackled to the ground and the camera slides away, out of view of them, but it captures the sight of Slenderman crossing from one alleyway to another. They can hear screaming, which they assume to be theirs in the background, and scuffling.)

"What the fuck just happened?!" Shell swore and Jess whimpered as the tape continued.

The video continued with there being the pounding of feet, the camera jostled around a lot, but they heard clear panting and the sound of wind rushing past the camera. Then, it cut to another clip, with someone outside tapping the girls inside, playing cards.

Shell: I win.

Jess: Bullshit! (Flips a table.)

Shell: (stares at Jess). Jess, you really need to stop reading memes...

Jess: (fake dinosaur shrieks and stomps around the room, pretending to be a dinosaur.)

The person holding the camera got closer to the window, turns it to the right and they hear the shrieking of the camera as it distorts and they see a glimpse of the Operator and the person turned the camera back to the girls.

Shell: (Sighs).

Jess: (stops being a dinosaur and looks at Shell). What's wrong?

Shell: It's nothing…..

Jess: No, it's something. Tell me or I'll feed you to Slenderman!

Shell: (glares at Jess). That isn't funny Jess! We just got chased earlier! So I'm a little worried about what's gonna happen!

Jess: (frowns and sits down). Let's go over the facts: we got chased, we ran like hell, we ended up at my place. Okay, we should be safe here! Look, you're in kind of a rough mood. You wanna go for a walk and maybe work some of the depression outta your system? If you're not happy, it'll probably attract Slendy faster.

Shell: Yeahyeah, I guess I'll go for a walk. I'll see ya in a few. (She grabs a jacket and leaves as Jess spoke).

Jess: Wait! I was gonna- (door slams shut). Come with you….

The tape went all fuzzy and skipped to Shell walking in the woods. Whoever is holding the camera stops and dodges behind a tree as Shell stops to look up at the foliage. Shell grumbled about something and turned around. After a couple steps, she screamed and started running back the way she was going before. A second later, the Operator teleported in front of the camera, causing it to shriek and then he disappeared and the screen went dark.

Jess was quietly sobbing. "I don't understand…."

Shell frowned. "Neither do I Jess. But we gotta find out what happened and what connections with have with MarbleHornets."

Jess nodded and the two took the camera with them and the tape, leaving the room to go to the front desk. Shell asked where they where and the receptionist replied. "You're in Grim, Maine dearie. Why do you ask?"

"Thanks." Shell grumbled and dragged Jess out of the hotel and outside. "We….were in fucking Alabama last time I remembered Jess! How the hell did we end up in Maine?! The last thing I remember is that I was staying at your place!"

Jess was sobbing more now. "H-how am I supposed to get home?!"

"I DON'T KNOW!" Shell shouted. "I don't know….." she sighed and then felt her pocket. Her eyes widened as she pulled out a phone. "My phone!" she exclaimed and checked her messages. "The fuck…..?"

"What do they say…?" Jess asks.

Shell scrolled through the messages. "Weird…it appears we're the cast of MarbleHornets. I guess we met them in Alabama or sumthin'…"

"Oh! C-can we text them? Maybe they could help us…." Jess suggested.

"I'll call." Shell nodded and dialed Tim's number. The line rung for a few moments before it finally answered.

"_Hello?" _Shell recognized the voice as Tim.

"Um….h-hey Tim…..it's um….Shell…."

"_Shell?! Oh my god! Is Jess with you? Are you guys okay?!" _

Shell winced, nearly pulling the phone away from her ear. "Um…..no….we don't know what happened man." She then proceeded to explain how they woke up in a hotel with no memories, finding the knife, tape and camera and what was on it.

"_Whoa!" _Tim exclaimed. _"We haven't shot MarbleHornets for a few months now….since….um…early August, before you turned 19. Jess lives in Alabama and you were staying with her and we met you guys in Alabama in July. Alex asked you guys to join and you did for about four weeks…then you guys went missing. Are you hurt?" _

Shell gaped. "Missing?!"

"_You really don't remember anything….." _Tim sighed on the other end. _"Here's Alex. He knows more than I do. I was only on set, but Alex took care of all the footage." _

The phone shuffled and Shell heard Alex's voice. That's when she put him on speaker phone and Shell explained the whole thing. _"Wow…that's fucking scary." _Alex commented. _"Yeah, you and Jess went missing a few months ago, around early August, before your 19__th__ birthday and it's….late November now. So about three months. You guys went missing after we shot in the old hospital again. We thought it was safe, but then you guys didn't show up for the next shooting…and then the next…." _

Both girls exchanged glances. "Alex, the last thing we remember is being in Alabama."

"_So you guys are losing those months of memories….." _Alex sighed. _"Alright, where are you guys at?" _

"The receptionist said we were in um…Grim, Maine?" Jess said, it being more of a question than an answer.

"_Jesus, you two are just a half hour away!" _Alex exclaimed. _"Okay, which hotel are you at?" _

"Um…Grim Suits."

"_Alright! Tim and I will be there in 30 minutes! Stay inside until we get there!" _

"Okay." Shell spoke and then hung up, putting her phone in her pocket. The girls looked at each other.

"I guess we need to figure out what happened…" Jess said quietly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Mysteries**

_**Chapter 2**_

The two girls waited inside the lounge of the hotel. They realized it was cold outside and had gone inside to warm up. Jess shivered and rubbed her arms underneath her thin jacket. "Shell….what are we gonna do?"

Shell sighed and leaned back in her chair. "I don't know Jess. We have to figure out what happened to us in those three months."

"I'm scared to find out…."

"I know…."

They waited for another 15 minutes before they decided to go outside and wait. Shell rubbed her arms with her hands, shivering a little. She wore a heavy hoodie, but the cold still got to her.

All of a sudden, they heard the screeching of tires and both girls saw a car drive into the circle drive of the hotel and it parked, both Alex and Tim coming out and rushing to them.

"I thought we told you to stay inside!" Alex said, motioning to the shivering girls and got out the other two coats from the car, handing one to Tim. Alex draped the coat over Jess's shoulders while Tim did the same thing to Shell.

"T-thanks…." She shivered, pulling it tighter around her torso. "Ow!" she cried out when Tim touched her wounded temple.

"Jesus, you guys look like you got the life beat out of you." Alex commented. "C'mon, let's get out of here."

The four of them got inside and Jess was instantly asleep, exhausted. "So you two really don't remember anything?" Tim questioned, turning around to look at Shell, who shook her head.

"No. We're completely baffled. The tape didn't help much either." She replied. "Can you tell when we met?"

"Well, Jay, Alex and I were in Alabama, shooting for MarbleHornets when you two came across us and said you recognized us. So, Alex decided to ask you two to join and you did. We came back up to Maine and you guys came up a few days later with your things. Jess was staying with Alex while you were staying with me. You two stayed for a few weeks and then had to go back to Alabama and Indiana to get more things. Then…well….a week went by….and you guys never showed up for the next shooting…." Tim trailed off. "We'll head to Alex's place first and then I'll run to my place to get some clothes for you….."

Shell gave a small nod and sighed, wincing as she touched her temple.

About 15 minutes later, they arrived at Alex's place and Tim said he would be back in a few and drove off to his place. "Jess, wake up sleepyhead." Shell poked the younger girl sleeping against the car door. Jess groaned and opened her blue eyes, blinking groggily. Shell just smiled a little. "Come on girl."

The two girls followed Alex into the house, where Alex guided Jess to her things. Shell sat on the couch and patiently waited for Tim to get back. Around 20 minutes later, the dark-haired male walked in with a bag of things.

"Here." He said, the smallest of a blush on his face and handed the bag to her, which she gladly took. "I got what you needed the most a few other things…" he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Thanks…" she murmured and when Jess got out of the bathroom, she herself went in. She had felt like she hadn't taken a shower in fucking AGES. She washed all of the dirt and filth off her body and from her hair. She nearly yelped when she had touched her temple when her soapy hands.

Around 5:30, she was all cleaned up and dressed. She pulled her hair into a ponytail and left her bangs down, gathering up her things and putting them in the bag. With that all done, she headed back out to where the other three were. Jess was sitting on the couch, with Tim and Alex sitting on the floor in front of Alex's computer.

As soon as Shell sat down next to Jess, Alex spoke up. "Okay, so we have all the footage from before you guys went missing. This is the first time we met you."

Alex started up the footage and it started out as Jay (who was holding the camera), Alex and Tim discussing where to shoot the next thing when they hear two girls heading towards them, who Jess and Shell recognized as them.

Jess: Hey! (The camera moves up to the girls walking up to them). Whatcha guys doing?

Alex: We're shooting for a film. We're discussing where to shoot the next shot.

Shell: Hey…..aren't you guys from MarbleHornets?

Jay: Yeah.

Shell: Wow…this is….. (She looks at Jess before looking at Jay again). Um….weird….never imagined we'd meet you guys.

Tim: Yeah, it's sort of weird.

They were all silent before Alex spoke up again.

Alex: Hey! I got an idea! Why don't you two join our film? We could use more people.

Both Shell and Jess exchanged glances before speaking.

Jess: Sure!

Alex: Great! Let's um…..Jay, turn the camera off for a second.

The scene went black and Alex started up another clip. The clip started out as Jay holding the camera again, with Alex and Tim speaking off camera and the girls in front of the camera.

Alex: So like, you guys can say your names and where you're from. This is just behind-the-scenes stuff.

Jess: Okay! (Smiles widely). Hey everyone! My name is Jessica, but everyone calls me Jess. Besides you already have a Jessica in the cast. I'm from Alabama and I'm 17-years old! That's all you need to know about me! Go on Shell-sama! (Nudges Shell's arm with her own).

Shell: (coughs uncomfortably) Sorry…I'm a little camera shy. But uh….well, my name's Shell. If you ask, it is not my real name, which you won't be getting. Have to protect my identity and stuff. I'm from Indiana and I'm 18, almost 19.

Alex: Okay! That was pretty good! Nice job for behind-the-scenes.

Shell: Thanks….. (Tenses up and then starts coughing. She turns away from the camera, walking away a little bit).

Jess: Shell? (Walks over as the camera gets closer) You okay?

Shell: (coughs once more before regaining her stance). Yeah, I think I'm just getting sick. (Sniffs).

Jess: Well, they say the Slenderman-.

Shell: (Playfully). Shut the fuck up.

The clip ended and Jess sighed. "How come we don't remember any of this?!"

"Well…." Tim began. "I was researching the Slenderman once and it's said that people who encounter him can lose memories. Amnesia."

"That still doesn't explain why we don't remember any of it, including when we met you guys." Shell mumbled.

"You guys were only in Entries 60 and 60.5." Alex replied and shut the laptop. "We did Entry 61 and waited for you guys to show up, but you never did, so we just stopped."

"Maybe…" Jess gulped, causing the other three to look at her. "Maybe we….got taken….by the Slenderman."

"Oh come on Jess. That's nothing but a legend." Alex spoke. "We'll figure out what happened to you guys. We just need time and patience."

"Yeah…I guess yer right Alex…." Jess mumbled and yawned loudly. "Man…I'm so tired…."

….

Shell sighed in content as she and Tim left the restaurant and headed towards his car. "God, it felt like I hadn't eaten in ages. Thanks…"

"It's no problem really." He spoke and they went back to his place. "So uh…." She spoke as they got into his apartment. "When did we start living with you guys?"

"When we started shooting for entries 60 and 60.5." He replied. "Both of your guy's parents got really worried…"

Speaking of that, Shell decided to call up her mom and after an hour of convincing her mother that she was fine and had only been sick, her mother just told her to take care of herself while she was up in Maine.

Shell yawned loudly as she hung up. "God….I'm so tired…."

"Your uh….your room is the third door on the left. Mine's on the right….so I'll be close if you need me…." Tim scratched his head, blushing a little.

"Thanks…." She spoke quietly and went to go walk past him, but he had suddenly grabbed her arm and before she could protest, he pulled her in for a tight hug. She blushed furiously at the contact, stiffening a bit in his hold.

He pulled away a few seconds later, his hands still on her shoulders and with reddened cheeks. "S-sorry about that Shell….I…..we….we missed you guys a lot. We….thought you guys were dead…."

"It's…..alright." she just smiled a little. "I'm uh….gonna try to get some sleep…." She went to her room when he released her shoulders and sighed. "What are we gonna do now….?"

….

_Initiating dream sequence….._

"_Jess! Be careful!" Alex exclaimed, grabbing Jess's wrist and yanking her away from the old floor. It was ready to break any second and Alex had just saved Jess from falling two stories below. _

"_T-thanks Alex…." Jess swallowed the lump in her throat and followed Alex into a different room. They heard Tim and Shell in a room next to them, talking. "Those two are REALLY getting along….." _

_They had been working with the cast of MarbleHornets for about three weeks now and July was going to end soon. All of a sudden, Jess felt some sort of tightening in her chest and it came up her throat. She hunched over slightly and let out a hard, loud cough. _

"_You alright?" Alex questioned, glancing down at her through his glasses. She was so much shorter than him….._

"_Yeah. Whatever Shell's got, I'm probably getting too." Jess replied, ending with a last cough and then stood back up. "It's her fault." _

"_Just because I'm in another room doesn't mean I can't hear you!" they heard Shell shout in annoyance and Tim laugh in amusement. _

_Jess sighed. "Y'know something…..I think Shell's got a crush on Tim." _

_Alex quirked an eyebrow. "How so?" _

"_Shell may be good at hiding her feelings. But she can't hide them around me." Jess grinned widely to herself. "You notice she gets all flustered and shy?" _

"_Yeah." _

"_That's how you know she has a crush on someone. Hell, I see Tim doing the exact same thing around her." Jess laughed to herself, closing her eyes. When she opened them, she didn't see Alex, nor Tim or Shell. And it was dark out. "Huh?! Alex?! Shell?! Tim?!" _

_The cough built up in her chest again and she let out a hard cough, nearly vomiting what she had for lunch also. "G-guys?!" _

_Jess stepped forwards and immediately, she felt something wrap around her ankle and she fell to the floor with a yell. "Ow…." She groaned and looked up. _

_Her blue eyes widened. _

_She felt her stomach drop and all the color drain from her face as she looked up at the faceless being before her. Its inhuman height towered over her and it bent down to look at her directly in the face, even though it had no eyes. _

_Child…a powerful and booming voice spoke in her mind. _

_Black tendrils sprouted from his back and began to wrap around her small form. No matter how much she tried, she couldn't escape. _

_So, she screamed. _

_End dream sequence…_

Jess woke up screaming.

Her blue eyes were filled with fear and she glanced around the room, nearly breathing a sigh of relief when she realized where she was. That's when she heard the pounding of feet and the door swung open, revealing Alex. His shirt was wrinkled from sleeping and he was just now putting his glasses on.

"Jess what happened? Are you alright?" he questioned with worry in his voice.

Jess stared at him for a moment and then she burst into tears. Alex walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, touching her shoulder. "Jess, what happened?"

The 17-year old bit back the choked sob that threatened to escape her throat. "I…I had a n-nightmare….."

"What kind of nightmare?"

"W-we were in the old hospital, Shell, Tim, you and I. I was coughing and I closed my eyes. When I opened them….y-you guys were gone and….." Jess shuddered as she thought of the towering creature. "The S…Slenderman was there…..and I screamed and then I woke up…."

Alex blinked. "Jess, I remember us being in the hospital that time. It was you and I in one room while Tim and Shell were in another. We were talking about the film and you started coughing really bad, claiming you were getting sick from Shell. It looks like you got a memory back…."

Jess felt a few stray tears fall down her cheeks and he reached up, gently brushing them away with a finger. "I'm terrified of what we're gonna find….." she whispered.

"Oh Jess…." He murmured and gently pulled her to him in an embrace. "It's gonna be okay….."

She was hesitant, but she put her arms around his waist and just fell into his embrace. She felt safer knowing that Alex was there.

…**..**

**I forgot to mention that this story will not strictly go by the MarbleHornets Timeline. The last Entry they did before Shell and Jess disappeared was Entry 61. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Mysteries**

_**Chapter 3**_

Shell woke up to her stomach doing back-flips and congestion up in her chest, like she needed to cough. She groaned and lifted her head, glancing at the alarm clock.

It was 3:34 am.

Suddenly, she felt bile rising up in her throat and she immediately slapped a hand over her mouth and quickly left the bedroom, hurrying to the bathroom. She managed to switch the light on and get to the toilet before retching up everything she ate that day. When she stopped, she groaned, her hair falling into her face. "F-fuck….." she shuddered violently and then began retching again.

It was only a few moments later she heard rushing footsteps and Tim came into the bathroom. "Jesus." He whispered and rushed over, kneeling beside her and holding her hair out of the way. He gently rubbed her back with his free hand, trying to sooth her pain.

Finally after a minute or two, she stopped retching. She groaned and slowly lifted her head, her skin paler than usual. "Unnnn….can y-you get me a cold rag and some….some water please…?"

As he did that, Shell sat against the counter, wheezing a little bit. He got the wet rag first and she placed it on her forehead, holding it there to attempt to keep the bile down. Her mom used to do that whenever she got sick. Tim left the bathroom and came back a few moments later with a glass of water.

"Here." He handed it down to her and then flushed the toilet.

She drank nearly half the water before taking it away from her lips and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. He sat down in front of her as she sighed shakily. "What happened?"

"I don't know…." She mumbled, taking the rag away from her forehead and pressing it against her pale cheeks. "I just woke up, feeling sick to my stomach. Then….." she gestured to the toilet and sighed shakily.

Tim looked at her with sympathy and then he stood up, holding out his hands to her. "Do you think you can stand?"

"I don't know, lemme try…." Shell replied and tossed the rag onto the sink. She grabbed his hands and he helped her stand up. She was able to stand up for all two seconds before she wobbled and fell into him.

"I guess you can't. Same with walking…" he said quietly and much to her surprise, he put an arm around her shoulders and the other one under her knees, lifting her up without much effort. "Whoa. You lost some weight."

She glared at him through tired eyes, but just groaned and let her head hit his shoulder. "You're lucky I'm too tired to hit you….."

He almost cracked a smile, but remembered the situation and carried her to the bedroom, setting her down on the bed. "You need anything?" he asked as she got underneath the covers.

"Just the bucket and the rag needs to be cold again…." She mumbled sleepily.

He left the room and came back with a bucket and the cold rag again. He sat the bucket by the bedside and then sat on the edge, touching her forehead.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay in here? You don't look so hot…."

She let out a chuckle and then coughed a little. "No, I'll be fine. You need sleep too….."

He laid the rag over her forehead and touched her arm. "Get some rest Shell."

…..

Tim woke up the next morning around 10:30 to hear his cell ringing. He groggily felt around for it and finally grabbed it, answering. "Hello?"

"_Hey Tim, its Alex. Jay just got here a few minutes ago." _

"Yeah." Tim spoke and sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "How's Jess?"

"_She's alright, still sleeping. She had a nightmare last night and she remembered something." _

"Really? What did she remember?"

"_She remembered when you, I, Shell and she were in the old hospital that time and Jess started coughing really bad." _Alex replied.

"That's good."

"_Mmhmm. What about Shell?" _

"She woke up last night and threw up. I think she was sick." Tim sniffed and then threw the covers off, sitting on the edge of the bed. "But she hasn't remembered anything yet."

"_That sucks. A-alright, I gotta let ya go. Jess just woke up. I'll talk to you later." _

"Later." He said and then hung up. He set his cell down on the table beside his bed and then left his bedroom and went to Shell's. He saw her form underneath the blankets. She was on her side, facing him and sleeping soundly. The rag was right beside her head, having dried up during the night.

He sat down on the edge of the bed and felt her forehead. _Her fever's gone….it just must've been a 24-hour bug…._

Shell suddenly stirred in her sleep, causing Tim to remove his hand from her forehead. She groaned and then rolled onto her back, her shirt slightly wrinkled and revealing her pale-skinned stomach. His brown eyes slightly narrowed and then widened when he saw that her stomach was riddled with scars and disappeared underneath her clothing.

_These scars….._He thought and reached out with one hand, brushing over the old and recent scars. She then shuddered from his touch, moving her head to the side a little and made a small noise in the back of her throat. He pulled away from her stomach and put her shirt back down. _Something terrible happened…..and we're going to find out. _

About an hour later, he was sitting out in the dining room, listening to the television when he heard a door open from the hallway and footsteps. Shell came walking out, eyes only halfway open and scratching her head. Her clothes were wrinkled and her hair was messed and spiky from sleep.

She looked better than last night though.

"Hey," Tim spoke.

"Hey." She said tiredly and yawned.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better than last night." She replied and plopped down at the table. "Except I'm freaking starving…."

"We can pick up something on the way to Alex's. We're still going through the footage when you guys were around." Tim answered.

"M'kay…." She mumbled and let her forehead hit the table. "Ow….."

30 minutes later, Tim and Shell walked into Alex's place. Shell blinked, surprised to see Jay, Jessica (the other one, not Jess), Brian and Seth in the living room also.

"Shell!" Both Jessica and Jess exclaimed and hugged the brunette, nearly to the ground. Shell yelped as she nearly dropped her food, catching it just in time.

"We're so glad you and Jess are okay!" Jessica said happily once her and Jess released Shell.

"Yeah, we were so worried!" Seth spoke.

Tim closed the door shut with his foot and went over to the couch with his food. Shell just gave a simple nod and wedged herself next to Tim, bringing out her Subway Club.

"Shell, did anything happen to you last night?" Jess asked as she sat on the floor next to Alex, who was sitting next to Jay as they discussed about the footage on Alex's computer.

"I got sick last night. That's it, you?"

"I had a nightmare." Jess replied and then explained to the older girl what she had dreamt about.

"Wow….some of it seems like a flashback." Shell commented and then yawned. "Man, I'm tired….."

After eating, they were all pondering about the latest events. Shell was just about to say something to Jay, when her voice cracked. She felt a build up in her chest, like a cough waiting to be let out. It slowly made its way up her throat and she let it out. It was a hard cough and she held her throat as the coughing only got worse. She hunched over and fell to her knees, using a hand to support herself and the other around her throat.

The voices around her were distorted and hands touched her. The hand around her throat immediately flew to her mouth, covering it as she coughed rough into her hand. When she pulled her hand back, she saw blood. The entire room became spiny and she fell onto her back, trying to bring herself back to reality.

Everything was blurry and her eyes were darting around to everyone whose voices were hard to make out. Her gaze landed on the blur that she recognized as Tim and when he got closer, his face wasn't his, instead covered by a white and black mask that she felt too familiar with.

Her face filled with terror and she pushed the masked man away. "No!" she shouted and quickly got to her feet, the room still spinning around. "Stay away from me! Stay away…!" she stumbled backwards as the blurs came towards her. As she spun around, her foot suddenly slipped on the floor and she went tumbling forwards.

As soon as her temple connected with a hard and sharp surface, she collapsed to the floor with a thud. The last thing she heard was people calling out her name and then she slipped in the cold arms of darkness.


	4. Chapter 4

**Mysteries**

_**Chapter 4**_

"Gently roll her onto her back."

Shell's unconscious form was rolled onto her back gently. Her skin was incredibly pale and the wound in her temple was bleeding.

"Someone go get a wet rag." Alex said and Jessica offered to grab one. She left and quickly came back with one and handed it to Alex, who handed it to Tim. The dark-haired male gently pressed the rag to Shell's bleeding temple and sighed.

"What the hell just happened?" Seth questioned.

"Do you think she remembered something?" Jay asked.

"I doubt it. Maybe she did remember something and then forgot it once she hit the coffee table." Alex replied. "Alright, let's get her onto the couch. Tim, hold her head."

They were able to get the girl's unconscious form onto the couch and set a pillow underneath her head. Jess had pressed the rag to her temple to keep the bleeding down and her blue eyes narrowed when she saw scars on Shell's chest, faint and recent ones. _Did she receive those when we were missing? _

She sighed softly to herself and glanced over at Tim, who had a worried expression on his face. She could clearly tell he was worried about Shell. _Come on Shell-sama, pull through… _

…

_Initiating dream sequence…..begin…._

_Shell sat in the corner of the room, knees hugged to her chest tightly and her face buried in her knees. She had only briefly seen Jess earlier and she looked better off than Shell. What Shell kept realizing was that no matter who was going to torture who, Shell always told them to do it, to keep Jess out of it. _

_She sighed shakily and pulled her hoodie closer. She had lost track of the days that had been in the forsaken room, not allowed to go outside at all. She was confined in the room, kept prisoner. She didn't know if she was being watched, but it sure definitely felt like it. _

_All of a sudden, she heard the door open and she glanced up to see the masked one, who she had dubbed Masky. He wore blue jeans and a heavy tan jacket that was always zipped up and the white mask that was outlined with black at the eyes and lips. She had been wondering who Masky could possibly be. _

_The room was dark, but she could make out his clothes, mask and his dark hair. The two had a stare down until Masky reached behind him and she perked up, but then her eyes widened when she saw that he had brought out a knife, a fish carving knife. Those things were fucking sharp. _

_Shell gasped and huddled against the corner of the room, feeling tears sting at her eyes. Masky took a couple steps towards her and she instantly shot up and jumped over the bed, crouching down until she could reach her hand underneath the first mattress and wrap her hand around the dagger she kept hidden from him and the hooded one. _

_That's when Masky lunged at her and she quickly brought out the dagger, jumping on the bed. It was her dagger that made contact first, plunging into his shoulder. She grimaced when he yelled out in pain, but then his hand grabbed her throat and he slammed her down onto the mattress. She looked up as he yanked the dagger out of his shoulder and then impaled it through her sleeve and into the mattress, pinning her left arm down. _

_She was just about to make use of her free arm, but he had pinned that down with his knife, through her sleeve and into the mattress just like her left arm. She whimpered, knowing she was defeated. _

"_I…if you're going to kill me….please…do it quickly….I don't w-want to suffer…." She whispered, feeling tears trickle down her cheeks. She looked up into the masked man's face and he tilted his head before reaching into his pocket and bringing out a black sash. She briefly wondered what he was planning to do with that and her question was answered when he stretched the sash out and laid it over her eyes, tying it behind her head. _

_Oh god….is he…is he…gonna…Shell didn't want to finish that thought and she tried to keep the choked sob back, but it just came out from the back of her throat. Masky hovered over her form, his hands on either side of her head and his legs in between hers. Her heart was pounding painfully against her chest. _

_All of a sudden, she felt him lower himself and that's when she felt hot breath against her face. She swallowed the lump in her throat and was just about to speak when she felt lips gently brush against her own. Her breath hitched in her throat and she didn't dare breathe as she felt his lips descend onto her own, this time fully. _

_His lips felt dry, but still soft at the same time. She wasn't sure whether she should react or not, but he hadn't killed her yet, so….why not? _

_She slowly began to move her lips against his and he responded by pressing harder, his right hand coming up to grasp the side of her neck. She wished she could move her arms, so that she could rip off the sash around her eyes and see who the masked man was. She was dying to know. _

_He nipped at her bottom lip and then pulled away from her lips, much to her disappointment. All of a sudden, he grabbed her chin and forced her mouth open; causing her to think that he was going to do something horrible. That's when she felt him put two fingers into her mouth and she felt a liquid on them, a salty, metallic liquid. _

_She realized it was blood. He was forcing her to taste his blood. _

_They left as soon as they came and now she felt his lips at her neck, trailing and ghosting over the old and recent scars. Most of the scars came from the hooded one, as he took pleasure in making her bleed. _

_A small whimper escaped from her back of her throat and the masked man suddenly cooed, as a sort of way to sooth her. She couldn't recognize the voice off the top of her head, not that it mattered anyway. _

_She wondered how worried the others were. Tim, Alex, Jay…she wondered about them and the others. He pulled away from her neck and pressed a small kiss to her lips. That's when she felt him pull the knives out of her sleeves, a decrease of weight on the bed and then a door slammed shut. _

_Shell shakily reached up and took the sash away from her eyes, finally opening them but instantly feeling tears build up. _

_She just wanted to go home….._

_End dream sequence…._

…..

As 8 pm rolled by, everyone had gone home and the only people left in Alex's place were Jay, Tim, Jess, Alex himself and then Shell, who was still unconscious on the couch. She had woken up a couple hours ago, looked at Tim and then went unconscious again.

Jess sighed to herself and scrolled through Alex's laptop. He had given her permission to get on his laptop after he was done with it. He had actually posted the next entry, Entry 62. The beginning had started out with Alex and Tim in Alex's apartment and Tim getting a call, which was Shell. The scene had cut to Alex and Jess talking, then the others coming over.

Jay had the camera next, taping as Tim and Shell had come through the door. It had continued until Shell had her coughing fit and then collapsed, which was where the tape ended.

Jess had already checked her DeviantART and now she was on , checking new and old stories. She was in the Web Shows section, under MarbleHornets. She was surprised to find new fanfictions with Jess herself and Shell in them. She had read quite a few, realizing that she and Alex were popular, along with Shell and Tim.

The one fanfic she read about Shell and Tim was pretty cute. Jess just smiled to herself, sort of amused people were writing fanfictions about them.

All of a sudden, Shell let out a pained groan.

"Shell!" Jess exclaimed and shut the laptop, setting it down on the coffee table before her and Tim went to the brunette's side.

"Agghhhh….god…." Shell groaned, her hazel eyes fluttering open. "What the hell happened?"

She was surprised to find out what happened.

And then she surprised them by telling them she remembered something. "I was in a room…..and I didn't know how long I had been in there. I think I was being held prisoner, along with Jess, but she was in a different room than mine." Shell sighed and sat up after she had taken a couple pain pills.

Since it was getting late, Tim decided it would be best if he and Shell went back to his apartment. When they finally got back, Tim kicked his shoes off and put his coat on the coat rack as Shell did the same.

"Shell," he called her out and she glanced at him. "Are you alright? You look…..bothered."

She blinked tiredly. "I'm alright Tim….just really tired." She then yawned. "I think I'm gonna head into the shower and go to bed…."

"Alright. I'll see you in the morning."

Later that night, Tim was sleeping soundly in his bed, snoring softly. He didn't hear his door creak open nor see Shell's figure standing in the doorway. She stood there for a couple moments and then she walked into the room, around the other side of the bed. She lifted up the covers and then got underneath them, scooting closer towards Tim's sleeping form.

He became faintly aware of something or someone in the bed with him. He opened his eyes halfway and let out a quiet yawn as he glanced over his shoulder and was startled to see Shell right there. He quickly sat up. "Shell, what are you….?" His sentence trailed off when he took a closer look at her face.

The expression on her face was fear.

His eyes softened. "What happened?"

She was quiet before speaking. "I…I had a nightmare….I was…in the forest, the woods and there was nobody around. I called out for you, for Jess, for anybody. But nobody answered me and no matter how far I ran, I just ended up in the same place….."

He just stared down at her for a few moments and then he scooted closer and got underneath the covers. She had a look of surprise on her face as he did this and was even more surprised when his arms went around her, pulling her to him in a hug.

"Shell, I know you're afraid. I would be afraid too if I couldn't remember things that happened to me." He slightly tightened his grip on her and sighed. "I'm here for you…."

There was silence between them and then she spoke again. "I um…have a odd question….did….did anything ever happen between us before Jess and I went missing…like…romantically…?"

He blushed at the thought. "No…not really. We hung out a lot, plus you lived here also."

"I just wish I could remember….."

"You will." He sighed and just held her. He felt some sort of butterfly feeling in his chest and wondered if he harbored secret feelings for her. _Maybe I do…._

He then felt her try to pull away. "What are you doing?" he questioned.

She stiffened a little in his hold. "Um….my room..? Or…..can I stay here…? I feel safer…."

"Of course." He murmured.

It wasn't long before they both drifted off in each other's arms.


	5. Chapter 5

**Mysteries**

_**Chapter 5**_

As Tim came to, he felt that he was lying on his back with weight on top of him. He went up to rub the sleep from his eyes and grunted a little as he moved. However, as he did so, the hand that was lightly gripping his shirt tightened. He opened his eyes and blinked a little as the weight on his upper torso slightly lessoned.

Shell fell off of him and onto the mattress, her chest rising and falling with each given breath. He sat up and glanced down at her, brown eyes softening. He never realized how much he missed her until last night. He missed her smile, her laugh, everything about her. Now she was just paranoid all the time, afraid of what she was going to remember. She was afraid for herself, for Jess and for everyone else.

He sighed softly and looked away for a moment, but then looked back at her again. He felt useless for not being able to help her remember. All he could do was support her. He suddenly felt the same feeling in his chest again from last night, except it was much stronger this time.

His cheeks took on a red tint and he scratched the back of his neck. _What am I doing? She wouldn't like a guy like me anyway…._he thought, glancing down at her once more. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he moved and was now hovering over her sleeping form. _I hope she doesn't get mad at me for this. _

With his hands on either side of his head, he lowered his head towards hers, his face taking on a deeper blush. Just as he was mere inches away, Shell's hazel eyes opened.

They stared at each other for a moment and then her face also took on a deep blush. "Tim….what are you doing…?" she questioned quietly.

"Uh….." he stammered and tried to come up with something. "Please don't hit me for this." He said quickly and then closed the gap, kissing her deeply. She made a sort of muffled noise and tensed underneath his hovering form, but she then relaxed and just inhaled sharply, her eyes fluttering close. He almost pulled back, but when she started to return the kiss, he felt his heart nearly skip a beat and now he realized what he had been feeling in his chest lately.

He _cared _for her. He _liked _her. So fucking much it was nearly blinding. When he first met her, he never thought they would get closer. Of course, they talked quite a bit before she and Jess went missing, but he never thought about a possible future with her. She was attractive and pretty, oh god, she was gorgeous. When she was mad, she was scary, but it also made her look even more attractive. She was a fire that wouldn't go out, no matter the situation.

Shell was surprised as hell when she woke up to find Tim's face hovering over her own, their lips inches apart. Of course, she was always nervous about her first kiss, but this, oh good god, it was fucking amazing. She was always a loner and didn't like to hang out in big groups much because it was sort of claustrophobic. She had her best friends and her regular friends. Her very two best friends and most of her friends were always gone, out of state for college. She really didn't have anyone to hang out with.

Then she met Jess over DeviantART and the two went at it, about One Piece, Slenderman, anything they had in common. Jess had made a comment in one of her fanfictions about them being sisters via DA. That made Shell feel like she wasn't really alone and that she actually had someone to talk to now.

Shell believed Tim, she really did. And he was supporting her and trying to help in any way for her to remember what went down from early July to late November. She wished she could remember what they would talk about. Hell, she never thought she would actually meet the cast of MarbleHornets, her favorite Slenderman Mythos series. From what the camera footage said, they did meet after all.

Shell wondered if Tim was feeling something, because she felt a deep feeling in her chest. Like whenever she would get a crush on someone, she would be shy around them. She wasn't shy around Tim, but the feeling in her chest told her otherwise. She _liked _and _cared _for him too. Tim was attractive, by gods, he was. He reminded Shell of those really good-looking nerds in high school, though Tim really wasn't much of a nerd, but had an interest in electronics as she could tell by what he had in his apartment. He was also shy and when he blushed, it was fucking adorable.

And now…._this _was happening.

His right hand came up to cup her cheek, gently stroking her pale skin as they kissed. Their lips moved in sync with each other and before she knew what was going on, he had sat up and moved, along with her, until he was leaning against the wall right above his bed and she was in his lap, her arms around his neck and his own around her waist tightly. He pulled her flush against him until there was no inch of space and tilted his head slightly, making the kiss deeper than before.

He breathed against her lips, his hot breath sending shivers down her spine. He gave her bottom lip a little lick and then a nip, making her open her mouth to him willingly. She couldn't keep the moan back when he began to explore her mouth, his tongue sliding over her own. She briefly wondered if her face could keep any hotter and was pretty sure he was thinking the same thing.

They were soon in a battle for dominance and as he won, he pushed her back onto the bed, his hands at her waist and fingertips slowly sliding underneath her grey t-shirt. Her back arched when his cool fingertips touched her skin and she responded by shoving her own hands underneath his shirt.

He quickly pulled away from her already swollen lips and went to her neck, nipping, licking and kissing, even sucking at all her sensitive spots. He let out a low chuckle when a breathy moan escaped from the back of her throat and he went to assault her neck again. Panting heavily with one eye closed, she managed to finally brush her fingers over his fit stomach and was rewarded with a moan against her neck.

He assaulted all the way down to her collarbone and then made his way back up to her lips, kissing her deeply once more. The kissing got rougher and soon they were both gasping for breath, even as they still kissed.

She was about to trail her fingers further up his torso when Tim's cell phone went off. They quickly pulled away from each other and Tim fell off the bed trying to reach for his phone. He felt around for it on his bed stand and then grabbed it, answering it. "Hello?" he answered breathlessly. "No, I'm fine Alex, I just woke up." He faked a yawn. "A mysterious package? From who? It is…? Jesus….god, we'll be there soon."

Tim hung up and sighed, standing up. His face was still as red as Shell's and the two just coughed uncomfortably. "I...I'm sorry Shell…..I got…carried away…" he spoke quickly and then left the room.

Shell sighed heavily to herself and got up, nearly stumbling. Maybe _she _was the one who got carried away…..

….

When they arrived at Alex's house, Jay was holding the camera, filming as he did so. "Are we filming for the project now or what….?" Shell questioned, nearly trying to go off camera as she was slightly camera shy.

"I guess we're just filming, since everything is real now." Jay replied.

Shell and Tim sat on opposite sides of the couch and Jess was slightly confused by this. She just shrugged and Alex started up the tape that had come in mysteriously that morning.

The tape started off as static and then it cut to Shell and Jess in Shell's car, both of them panting heavily. Jess was the one holding the camera and Shell was in the driver's seat, her forehead against the wheel.

Shell: (glances at the camera.) Jess, what the fuck did we just see?

Jess: (Panicky.) I don't know! I was just following you and you screamed and ran off and-.

Shell: (Interrupts her.) We just fucking saw that thing! (Locks the car and then quickly drives off.) What we just saw, is real Jess! It's fucking real! I never would've thought!

Jess: (Her breathing has calmed down.) But why is it after us?

Shell: (Sighs heavily.) I don't know Jess…one of the many things we have to figure out. How's the camera?

Jess: It's almost-. (The screen cuts to black).

The screen then cuts to Jess picking up the camera and walking out of the room, when Shell starts screaming off screen.

Jess: Shell! (The camera is jiggled around a lot and Shell comes around the corner, nearly colliding into Jess.)

Shell: We have to go! (She and Jess are about to run into the room and then suddenly the camera is lifted into the air with Shell looking up in fear.) Jess!

Jess: RUN!

(The camera is dropped and Shell continues to scream Jess's name until there is a sound-like whoosh.)

Shell: Oh god…..! (The camera is picked up and Shell's panicked breathing is heard as she runs down the stairs and then trips, falling down them. The camera lands at the bottom of the stairs with Shell in view, on her stomach and groaning as she held her side.) Damnit….!

(All of a sudden, Shell's eyes go wide and she screams as she is dragged off screen. Her screaming and sobbing is heard.)

Shell: What do you want from us?! Give Jess back! GIVE HER BACK! YOU FUCKING-! (Her screaming is silenced as she is suddenly thrown back into the screen, hitting her head hard on the wooden floor and is knocked out. There are heavy footsteps and then they stop. Shell is dragged off screen again and then the camera shrieks as it distorts and a very low, but deep growl is heard before the screen goes black.)

Everyone in the room was in complete shock and utter denial, especially Shell and Jess. Jess's mouth was hung open and she fell backwards, fainting. Shell just sat there, eyes completely wide.

"Oh my god….." Tim whispered.

"It was him….." Shell whispered, causing everyone, excluding Jess, to look at her. Her eyes were wide with fear and she trembled. "It was him….it was him who took us….."


End file.
